by Our Crafty World | Jul 13, 2023 | Home Featured
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I’m excited to announce my latest learning board, The United States of America!
Incorporating this learning board into your homeschool or classroom can make learning about the United States waaay more interactive, engaging, and memorable for your students. Not to mention, help foster cultural awareness and worldly competence in a fun, visually appealing way.
Students can easily assemble this board on their own, learning key country facts about the United States every step of the way.
Have you ever considered a learning board to teach about a particular country?
Learning boards offer a wealth of information!
My boards feature a particular country and serve as a visual aid to enhance students’ understanding of a country’s culture.
Through beautiful photos and key information, students can learn about geography, history, language, music, colors, mood, dance, literature, art, cuisine, and more.
Students can also be introduced to key historical events that helped shape a country’s past and present and learn foundational information to kick-start any country unit.
To view more details about the United States Learning Board, visit my Etsy Shop here:
Be sure to check out my other learning boards below. What will interest your children or students?
Mexico
Bolivia
Australia
Turkey
Tunisia
Antoni Gaudi (Spain)
Day of the Dead (Mexico)
Fourth of July (USA)
Pavlova Recipe Board (Australia)
Paella Cooking Board (Spain)
Momo Recipe Board (Nepal)
Christmas Nutcracker Board (Germany)
Thank you for taking the time to bring world culture into the lives of your children or students!
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by Our Crafty World | Jun 26, 2023 | Home Featured
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Question for you…just how much do you know about the Fourth of July holiday?
Do you know who the Founding Fathers are?
Can you list the 13 original colonies?
Do you know what surprising invention Thomas Jefferson is known for?
We all associate the Fourth of July with backyard barbeques, patriotic parades, and fireworks shows, but what important events in American history actually shaped this holiday?
If your family or students are ready to dive deep and add historical meaning to this American holiday this year, then be sure to check out my new Fourth of July Display Board and Learning Bundle.
First, you’ll learn the key historical facts that shaped the Fourth of July holiday, answer trivia questions, play a few games, and then launch into making this beautiful display board to showcase in your home for family and friends to see and learn from.
Which one of your family or friends will linger around this board the most? : )
It all starts with making the United States Flag with easy-to-print board elements that are pasted onto a 20 X 30-inch foam board (I buy my boards at the Dollar Store!).
You can leave your board as is or print and paste the holiday elements for added flair. Then enjoy browsing the 21 pages of all things Fourth of July, including the most delicious Apple Crisp Recipe that would be the perfect addition to your Fourth of July food table this year.
This is a great summer learning pack for your family to print and come back to again and again over the course of a few days! It will bring fun family discussions, historical insight, and lasting knowledge about the Fourth of July – and the United States – for years to come.
To see all aspects of this festive Fourth of July Board as well as many other country boards – Mexico, Bolivia, Turkey, Tunisia, Australia, Spain, Day of the Dead – head on over to my Etsy Shop, Countries on Board!
Happy Fourth of July!
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by Our Crafty World | May 10, 2023 | Home Featured, Turkey
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This week, as part of our unit on Turkey, we prepared one of the country’s most popular fast foods – Turkish Pide – and it was a hit among my middle-school students!
In this blog post, I’ll demonstrate how to make this Turkish recipe using readily available ingredients from your local grocery store. The best part? You don’t even need to make the dough from scratch!
FIRST, INTRODUCE TURKEY TO YOUR STUDENTS USING A COUNTRY BOARD
Using the Turkey Country Board I created (and will have for sale next week in my Etsy Shop, Countries on Board), you can easily teach the key country facts about Turkey, a transcontinental country located between Europe and Asia, known for its rich history, cultural diversity, and stunning natural beauty.
Country boards feature a particular country and serve as a visual aid to enhance students’ understanding of that country’s culture. I have been using them for 12 years!
With colorful images, interesting facts, and hands-on activities, students can learn about geography, history, culture, language, music, dance, literature, art, cuisine, and more. They can also be introduced to key historical events or figures that shaped the country’s past and present.
I encourage you to use a country board for your next country unit!
Also, be sure to read my blog post, All Hands on Turkey! How to Paint a Turkish Eye That Does Not Overwhelm the Young Artist, to incorporate art and additional learning into your Turkey Unit.
LET’S MAKE PIDE!
Pide is a traditional Turkish flatbread that is often compared to pizza due to its similar shape and toppings. The word “pide” comes from the Persian word “pida” which means “to open”.
The reason it’s considered “fast food” is because it is a popular street food in Turkey, often sold from small kiosks or mobile carts. You can find it everywhere!
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS FOR PIDE
To make pide, you will need:
One package of frozen Puff Pastry dough (this makes 4 individual pides)
Olive oil
Grated mozzarella cheese
Grated parmesan cheese
1 container of Feta Cheese (I recommend using Athenos Garlic & Herb crumbled Feta)
Ground lamb (this is an optional topping). Sauté in a pan with olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano to taste.
Parchment paper
Salt/pepper
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
To start, open your puff pastry sheets and divide them in half with a knife. You can roll out the dough a bit if you like, but this is not necessary.
Using a knife, cut an almond (eye) shape out of the puff pastry sheet.
Pinch the ends together tightly and then roll and pinch the edges of the almond shape to make a “boat” for the ingredients.
Lightly brush the bottom with olive oil and then season with salt and pepper.
Add a layer of mozzarella cheese followed by a mixture of feta and parmesan, which can be made by combining both containers of cheese with a small amount of olive oil.
Next, top with the ground lamb mixture (see the ingredient list for how to prepare the lamb).
Transfer your uncooked pide to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees, or until the sides turn a light brown.
Let cool a bit and serve warm. Enjoy Turkey’s most popular “fast food”!
AN ADDITIONAL SWEET TREAT FROM TURKEY
To offer my students a taste of Turkey’s national dessert, I served a sweet treat alongside the Pide, which I found at a local Middle Eastern Market. It can also be purchased on Amazon or at Trader Joe’s, according to my students.
Be sure to read my blog post, All Hands on Turkey! How to Paint a Turkish Eye That Does Not Overwhelm the Young Artist, to incorporate the addition of art into your Turkey Country Unit.
Thank you for taking the time to bring world culture into the lives of your children or students!
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by Our Crafty World | May 10, 2023 | Home Featured, Turkey
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Want to know my favorite must-haves for every country unit I teach? Yep, art and cooking!
In the blog post below, you can learn how to teach a very doable Turkey art project for kids, and then head over to my blog post, How to Make One of Turkey’s Most Popular “Fast Foods” With Kids, to dive deeper into your Turkey unit.
KICKSTART THIS TURKEY ART PROJECT FOR KIDS WITH A TURKEY COUNTRY BOARD
Using the Turkey Country Board I created (and sell in my Etsy Shop, Countries on Board), we learned the key country facts about Turkey, a transcontinental country located between Europe and Asia, known for its rich history, cultural diversity, and stunning natural beauty.
Country boards feature a particular country and serve as a visual aid to enhance students’ understanding of that country’s culture. I have been using them for 12 years!
With colorful images, interesting facts, and hands-on activities, students can learn about geography, history, culture, language, music, dance, literature, art, cuisine, and more. They can also be introduced to key historical events or figures that shaped the country’s past and present.
I encourage you to use a country board for your next country unit!
HOW TO MAKE A TURKISH EYE PAINTING FOR YOUR NEXT TURKEY UNIT
The Turkish eye, also known as the Nazar, is a protective symbol used in Turkish culture to ward off the evil eye and bring good luck. I picked this aspect of Turkey to paint because It boldly represents a symbol synonymous with the country.
My students enjoyed painting the Turkish eye because its simple shape is easy to draw, and the painting process involves only curved lines, without any intricate details to fuss over.
LET’S PAINT! FIRST, GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES
DOWNLOAD FREE INSTRUCTIONS: If you would rather print instructions, versus follow the steps below, click here.
I used white, light blue, bright blue, black, and gold acrylic paint for this project. You will also need a jar of water, a paper plate for a palate, paper towels for blotting the paintbrush dry between colors, and Q-tips for painting the gold accent dots around the eye.
I bought inexpensive 9 X 12-inch canvases in bulk on Amazon. I prepped these ahead of time with one coat of white paint. You could also use 8 1/2 X 11-inch white card stock or multi-media paper.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PAINTING A TURKISH EYE
You can start by sketching the eye shape LIGHTLY onto the canvas with a pencil.
PRO TIP: Before painting, advise your students to erase their pencil marks lightly, leaving them barely visible, to ensure that they won’t be noticeable under the paint.
Paint the white circle of the eye first and let it dry.
Next, paint the light blue center circle, letting it dry before painting the black pupil. Then paint the outer light blue border.
Complete the eye by painting the bright blue inner section, applying a second cost to any areas that appear thin or streaky, resulting in a finished painting with bold, vibrant colors and a clean canvas appearance.
Using a Q-tip, students can paint the gold detail around the eye by first painting evenly spaced dots on the upper, lower, right, and left sides of the eye.
Instruct them to paint a dot in the exact middle of each of those dots, and so on until the gold border is finished.
Your Turkish eye painting is complete!
GIFT THIS BEAUTIFUL TASLIMAN TO SOMEONE IN NEED
I encouraged my students to gift this painting to someone special, maybe even someone who could use a little extra protection or good luck. Or, they could hang it prominently in their own home for the same reason.
I hope your students enjoy this Turkey art project for kids as much as mine did!
Please leave any questions you have about this Turkey art project for kids below.
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by Our Crafty World | Apr 25, 2023 | Home Featured, Mexico
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Here is a simple Mexico craft for kids that will make your home or school room colorful and festive just in time for Cinco de Mayo.
This FREE printable is called the Festive Papel Picado Craft and you can download the simple instructions for making this craft by clicking here.
WHAT IS PAPEL PICADO?
Papel picado is a decorative craft made out of paper cut into intricate designs, often used in Mexican celebrations such as Dia de los Muertos and Cinco de Mayo.
Papel picado means “cut paper” in Spanish. It is made by folding tissue paper accordion-style and cutting beautiful shapes in it. It is then hung on strings high above the streets, but also in peoples’ homes. The tradition of papel picado dates back to pre-Columbian times, where it was used to decorate Aztec temples and ceremonial sites.
HOW DO YOU MAKE PAPEL PICADO?
In the FREE craft, you will choose tissue paper in the color of Mexico’s Flag (see my FREE Mexico Coat of Arms printable here) – red, green, and white.
You will stack these pieces of paper together, fold them accordion style, and then cut on the outer edges to reveal a beautifully cut design when unfolded.
You will then print out the Mexico and Cindo de Mayo templates you want to include on your papel picado, and attach them with tape or glue. Fold the top edge over a festive string and tape into place.
Now you are ready to find a prominent area in your home or school room to hang your Festive Papel Picado!
This Mexico craft for kids can be used for any Mexico-themed unit or celebration so I encourage you to download or bookmark it today!
Be sure to check out my other Mexico crafts for kids here and without a doubt, take a look at my Mexico Country Facts Board printable that so many teachers, parents, and homeschoolers are using to kickstart their Mexico unit.
Kids love creating these boards!
Thank you for taking the time to bring world culture into the lives of your children or students!
I invite you to leave a comment or question below.
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by Our Crafty World | Apr 19, 2023 | Home Featured, Mexico
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Hello all!
I have a FREE printable for you that will take your family (or students – see below) on a field trip to your local Mexican Market!
With Cinco de Mayo right around the corner, this would be a great weekend adventure to expand your knowledge of Mexican culture through food.
This activity is not just for families. You can bring these flavors into your classroom as well!
I chose these items based on my own personal experiences growing up just north of the Mexico (Nogales)/Arizona border. Many of these items are the snacks I bought on the many trips we took to Nogales to eat lunch and shop with friends who came into town. These are the flavors of home for me and I am always sharing stories of these foods with my students.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH ANY OF THE ITEMS ON THIS LIST?
(Get the FREE printable here.)
When you take your children (or students – see below) on a trip to a foreign market it is like taking a mini-trip to the country itself.
As you walk the aisles you take in new smells, sights, sounds, and even languages. It’s an unexpected field trip your children are sure to love.
I challenge you to print this list and schedule a day to make this fun Mexico outing happen! Maybe May 5th, Cinco de Mayo?
WANT TO BRING THESE FLAVORS OF MEXICO INTO YOUR CLASSROOM?
Simply print this list, locate your nearest Mexican Market, and choose 3-4 items you feel your students would take interest in.
HERE ARE A FEW TIPS FOR MAKING THIS MEXICO TASTE-TESTING EXPERIENCE MORE ENRICHING FOR YOUR STUDENTS:
To keep costs down, I buy in very small quantities and divide them up into bite-sized pieces. You’re not trying to fill bellies with this activity, you’re simply providing a variety of tastes from Mexico. If you do not have a Mexican Market in your area, you can always turn to Amazon.
Don’t only choose items your students will love. Students find it thrilling to bite into something different, especially when others are too. This is what defines this cultural experience – I have seen this first-hand with my own students. Disliking something is okay! Remind your students of this.
Assemble a small sampler plate for each student. Talk about the foods on the plate before eating them. Have your students smell each item, guess the ingredients, and predict each flavor. Then, as a class, sample each item together, one by one. I count to three before each bite!
After each bite, discuss each item – Did you like it? Was the flavor what you expected? Would you try it again? I ask my students to rate each item by giving a thumb’s up, thumb’s sideways, or thumb’s down. : )
Think about other country units you will be teaching. Can you provide the same, memorable food experience for your students with each country you explore? I hope you do!
I invite you to look at my other Mexico crafts for kids here.
And be sure to check out my Mexico Country Facts Board to kickstart your studies – or love – for Mexico!
Thank you for bringing world culture into the lives of your children or students!
I invite you to leave a comment below…
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